Keeping in line with Uttarakhand’s decision to phase out the revenue police system, around 95 villages in Almora district have recently been added to the jurisdiction of the regular police

Uttarakhand has a dual policing system in which civil officials of the revenue department have powers and functions of the police and are known as revenue police.(HT File)

Keeping in line with Uttarakhand’s decision to phase out the revenue police system, around 95 villages in Almora district have recently been added to the jurisdiction of the regular police.

Uttarakhand has a dual policing system in which civil officials of the revenue department have powers and functions of the police and are known as revenue police. Although regular police are established in the state, yet in some hill pattis, the jurisdiction of the police is yet to be extended to and the revenue officials perform functions of police like the arrest of offenders and investigation. While the sub-divisional magistrate and patwaris run the revenue police, the regular police come under the superintendent of police or senior superintendent of police.

In the state, around 61.19% area comes under the revenue police while 38.81% area comes under the regular police. This shows that village areas are still governed by the revenue police.

In 2013, the Uttarakhand government had tried to phase out the revenue police and replace it with regular police. The move, however, met stiff opposition from social activists.

However, the ambit of the regular police has been steadily increasing and areas such as Danya in Almora have been added to the jurisdiction of the regular police after a double murder in 2012.

In 2013, the then Uttarakhand chief minister Vijay Bahuguna had said that the losses in Kedarnath after the 2013 tragedy could have been minimized had the area been under the jurisdiction of the regular police, which has better communication facilities, logistics and resources.

Puran Rawat, deputy inspector general of police, Kumaon Range, said that new areas were being brought under regular police in view of the changing law and order situation. “The growing population, influx of outsiders is posing new challenges in governance,” said Rawat.

Former Uttarakhand director general of police, AB Lal said that the Uttarakhand High Court had earlier said that why should Uttarakhand be deprived of regular and standard policing in all parts, but nothing much has been done till now. “Pressure is increasing on many far-flung areas due to new challenges and more parts are being brought under regular policing,” he said.